[UPDATED] Richards says he'll run again

Tom Richards will seek a second term as Rochester's mayor. The announcement could lead to a primary contest between Richards and City Council President Lovely Warren, who is contemplating a mayoral run.

Richards made his announcement at an unrelated press conference this morning. In a subsequent phone interview, he said he did it that way because he doesn't plan to go into all-out campaign mode yet.

He said there's been so much speculation about his political future that it had become a distraction personally and to the city.

Richards said there is still much he wants to continue to work on, including strengthening the city's neighborhoods and rebuilding downtown.

Richards won the mayor's office in a much-debated 2011 special election held after Bob Duffy won election as lieutenant governor. Richards' opponents were former Mayor Bill Johnson and Green Party candidate Alex White.